As Parliament remained gridlocked over demonetisation, Rahul Gandhi on Friday thundered there will be an "earthquake" if allowed to speak on the "biggest scam", drawing ridicule from the Bharatiya Janata Party which said the Congress leader is best known for political "quackery", not quakes.
With earthquake being invoked metaphorically by the rival parties in an escalation of exchanges on note ban, BJP leader Sambit Patra scoffed at the Congress vice president, remarking that those who were the "epicentre" of scams for the last 60 years are now talking about earthquakes.
Gandhi accused the government of not allowing him to speak in Parliament on demonetisation, which he dubbed as the "biggest scam", and said he would reveal in the House what was behind the move to scrap high denomination notes.
"If they allow me to speak in Parliament, you will see what an earthquake is going to happen," he said.
Speaking to reporters outside Parliament, Gandhi said that his party wants debate on demonetisation so that the truth can come to the fore, but the government is running away from it.
Gandhi said that when he gets a chance to speak about demonetization in the House, "the prime minister will not be able to even sit there".
"The prime minister is giving speeches across the country but is afraid of coming to the Lok Sabha and is not willing to sit there," Gandhi said and asked what could be the reason for this "nervousness".
"Demonetisation is the biggest scam in the history of India.... I want to speak in Lok Sabha. I will tell everything there," Gandhi said.
The Congress leader was speaking after his party said in Lok Sabha that it was ready to debate the issue but the government demanded that it should first apologise to the people of the country for stalling Parliament proceedings for 16 days, leading to uproar and adjournment of the House.
Gandhi said initially the government spoke about black money, then moved to counterfeit currency and then again to a cashless society campaign.
He said, "I want to tell about the the biggest scam committed by Narendra Modi single handedly" and present the "voice of people, specially poor, who have suffered due to this move".
He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should come to the House so that it can be discussed "what demonetisation is, who has benefited from this decision is and what it means for whom".
He added that the government had initially proposed debate on demonetization to which his party agreed but then the government backtracked.
"Those who were 'Epicentre' of SCAMS for the last 60 years talk of 'Earthquake' today!!," Patra tweeted. "He is to be reminded that He is best known for Political 'Quackery', not Quakes."
Union minister Venkaiah Naidu and fellow minister Smriti Irani also took a swipte at Gandhi.
"May this quake happen when we are not present in Parliament," Naidu told reporters in Bengaluru.
"Rahulji thinks too highly about his oratory skills and he himself knows how much his speeches appeal...As far as tremors are concerned. I think when he speaks there are tremors within Congress not outside," Irani said.
IMAGE: Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi addresses media outside Parliament in New Delhi. Photograph: Vijay Verma/PTI Photo
